Apply for free or reduced-price school meals
The National School Lunch Program offers free meals at or below 130% of the poverty line and reduced-price meals at or below 185%; apply through your school or local school food authority.
What it costs
Time to complete the school or district meal application and provide the household information it requests.
What you get
The National School Lunch Program can provide free or reduced-price meals to eligible students at participating schools. Households with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty line are eligible for free meals, while households with incomes at or below 185 percent are eligible for reduced-price meals.
Notes
Student eligibility can be determined by an application or direct certification. Ask the school or local school food authority how to apply; some schools also use provisions that offer meals to all students without individual household applications.
Sources
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service — National School Lunch Program
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service — Child Nutrition Programs: Income Eligibility Guidelines